As you know, in the Russian Empire for many centuries there was a phenomenon similar to slavery. It was called serfdom. Moreover, serfs were the most ordinary people who were just unlucky to be born into peasant families.
The famous writer Sergey Alekseev devoted his story “The history of the serf boy” to this topic. Let us find out the summary of this work, as well as get acquainted with the biography of its creator.
Russian writer S. Alekseev
Sergey Petrovich Alekseev devoted most of his life to writing children's and historical books. And not surprisingly, because he was born in an intelligent doctoral family (1922).
Due to the fact that his father had a practice in the village of Pliskov in the Kiev province (today it is the territory of Ukraine), the future writer used to communicate with peasants from childhood and knew firsthand about their hardships.
When Alekseev was 10, his parents moved to Moscow, where he graduated from high school. A purposeful young man dreamed of becoming a pilot, for which he entered the Aviation College of the city of Pastavy (today the territory of Belarus) in 1940.
With the beginning of World War II, Sergey Alekseev, together with other cadets, was transferred to the Orenburg Flight School. While living in Orenburg, Alekseev became interested in history and, in parallel with the school, began to study at evening courses at the history faculty of the local pedagogical institute.
After graduation, the young man began to teach in it. However, due to an injury received during a training flight, he was soon forced to leave the flight business and went into literature.
At first, the future writer edited other people's works, and since 1955 he began to publish his own. His works have been awarded many prizes (State Prize of the USSR, Prize of the Lenin Komsomol, International Diploma of H. H. Andersen) and translated into 50 languages ​​of the world.
The main theme of the work of Sergei Alekseev was the military history of the Russian Empire, beginning in the middle of the XVI century.
The most famous books of this author are “One Hundred Stories from Russian History”, “Heroic Surnames”, “The History of the Serf Boy” (a brief summary of chapters VI – IX points), “Tales of Suvorov and Russian Soldiers” and others.
Sergey Petrovich died in May 2008 at the age of 86. His grave is located at the Peredelkino cemetery, where even today connoisseurs of creativity can lay flowers.
The story "The story of a serf boy"
In Alekseev’s works, quite often historical events are shown through children's perception. For example, the book “The Life and Death of Grishatka Sokolov” tells about the Pugachevsky uprising through the story of the boy who took part in it.
However, the most striking story of this type is “The Story of a Serf Boy” (a brief summary is in points VI - IX).
This work was first published in 1958 and marked the emergence of a new writer-historian in children's literature.
Story structure
This book consists of 4 chapters. Each of them describes the period the protagonist stays with the next owner. Moreover, each of the chapters is divided into several parts: “Mistress Mavra Ermolaevna” (7), “Dasha” (12), “Guard Lieutenant” (8), “Good Master” (7).
Background story
Before considering the brief content of the book “The History of the Serf Boy”, it is worth learning about the historical period during which all events take place.
The time frame can be limited to the period of the late 80s - early 90s. XVIII century. This is evidenced by the fact that Mitya Myshkin meets with the former rebel from the army, Emelyan Pugachev, as well as with the great commander Alexander Suvorov during the capture of Izmail. Until the abolition of serfdom (1861), it was still about 70 years old, which meant that the slave-owning estate of Tsarist Russia (which had hardly calmed down after the Pugachev region) not only did not perceive serfs as people, but also treated them with increased severity. Most likely, this is why this period was chosen by Alekseev to show the abomination of serfdom.
The main character of the book
Before you familiarize yourself with the summary of the story “The History of the Serf Boy”, it is worth learning more about his main character.
The plot focuses on the fate of a ten-year-old boy named Dmitry (Mitya) Myshkin from the village of Zakopanka. Despite his young age and lack of education, he is smart, resourceful and brave. Moreover, the boy has a heightened sense of dignity and justice. He is ready to help a dear person, even at the risk of his own life.
Each time, moving to a new master, he evolves, learning from past mistakes. Thanks to this, in the last chapters, Mitya actually chooses his own hosts.
Of particular note is the dedication that this boy is capable of. So, taking revenge for the death of his girlfriend Dasha, he burns alive the guilty of this. And attached to Lieutenant Vyazemsky, the boy pulls him out of the battlefield. However, when this person breaks his word and loses the guy to his cruel and near-minded friend, Myshkin without a twinge of conscience leaves the owner.
With all this, despite his valor and resourcefulness, Mitya remains a child who dreams of returning to his parents. But by the end of the story Myshkin turns into a sort of potential Pugachev, who realized that there are no good masters.
“The story of a serf boy”: a summary of the chapter “Barynya Mavra Ermolaevna”
At the beginning of the story Mitya is a happy carefree child who does not fully realize what it means to be serf. Unexpected news for him is that he and his parents are being taken to sell.
Due to the fact that trading took place in the fall (when serfs were not particularly valued), none of the Zakopane was bought. However, before the fair closed, the old lady laid eyes on the boy and bargained for 3 rubles.
The new mistress, the widow of an army officer, was very poor. The only source of her income was her husband's pension. However, the money was barely enough to contain a tiny little house with 3 rooms, a stable, a barn and a bathhouse.
In addition to Mitya, the hostess had 2 more serfs: Barbara and Arkhip.
They lived in the estate of Mavra Ermolaevna poorly and boringly. The main entertainment of this woman was flogging slaves on Saturdays. This was done not for service, but for order. The child did not like this attitude, and trying to protect himself and others, he hid the rods.
In order for the boy to admit where they are, the lady put him in a gusnik. Frightened, Mitya accidentally killed one of the geese. For this, the mistress brutally threw him when she found the rods.
In the future, Myshkin’s life only worsened, so he decided to run away.
Summary of the story “The Story of a Serf Boy”: Chapter Two (“Dasha”)
Next to the modest possessions of Mitina the mistress was the luxurious Novgorod estate of Count Alexei Gushchin (Barabiha). This nobleman rarely appeared there, so almost all the time the estate was run by the German manager Franz Neumann.
Once the count demanded that the manager prepare a serf orchestra and theater for the New Year. Neumann began to gather peasants prone to playing music throughout the district. Once he happened to hear how Mitya (who had been put to the mouth of geese by that time) was playing the pipe. Having appreciated the guy’s talent, Franz bought him from Mavra Ermolaevna for 2 bags of oats and an old feather bed.
The estate in Barabiha was large. Many serfs lived there, and the attitude towards them was several times better than that of the previous mistress. Gradually, the boy got used to and made friends with a young artist named Dasha.
Despite all the good, Mitya went on the run. He was overtaken by the terrible mute duke Fedor sent in pursuit. However, he did not give the fugitive to the German, and for a long time hid him in his kennel. Soon the boy made friends with a man and found out that his tongue had been torn out due to his participation in the Pugachev region.
When Myshkin discovered Franz, the guy really got it. But Dasha and Fedor came out.
The New Year was drawing near, and a dress rehearsal was going on in the theater. Dasha played a major role and accidentally fell. The manager wanted to beat her, but Mitya interceded. Fleeing from the anger of the German, the children jumped out into the cold. Dressed in light theatrical clothes, the girl caught a cold and a few days later died of illness.
Trying to avenge her, Mitya set fire to the house in which the German lived. The courtyards did not particularly try to save the steward, and those who tried were stopped by the dumb Fedor, who, by mistake, was considered the culprit of the fire.
Myshkin, taking advantage of the situation, fled.
"Guard Lieutenant"
After reviewing the summary of the “History of the serf boy” of the first two chapters, it is worth knowing: what is the third.
Having appeared on the road after the escape, the main character almost froze - after all, winter. He was saved by a passing officer. He wanted to hand over the fugitive to the authorities, but Mitya managed to win over the military man, and he left the boy with him.
The new owner, Alexander Vasilievich Vyazemsky, was a lieutenant of the life guard of the imperial regiment. The boy became his batman and became very attached to him.
Because of the duel, Vyazemsky was sent to war with the Turks. Fearing for the life of a young servant, he wanted to leave him on his estate, but Mitya decided to stay with the master.
Participating in the battle for the capture of Ishmael, the young officer showed courage, but was injured and almost died. Fortunately, Myshkin made his way to the battlefield and pulled out a wounded owner from there. Suvorov himself learned about this and awarded the young hero a medal.
Returning to St. Petersburg, Vyazemsky, in gratitude for the salvation, vowed never to sell the boy. But once, playing cards, the officer put Mitya at stake. The frustrated boy did not wait for the outcome of the party and fled.
"Good master"
Having learned the “Story of a Serf Boy”, a summary of the three chapters, it is time to understand how this book ended.
After the escape, Myshkin wandered around the capital in search of food. At the bazaar, he accidentally met with a serf from Zakopanka - the crooked Savva. He told that the former owners went bankrupt and sold almost all the peasants and land. The boy’s parents are now owned by General Yusupovsky, who is known for his good disposition.
Savva took the boy to his father and mother, who considered him dead.
The new master, due to a head injury, had some mental problems. Therefore, he constantly forced the boy to play his strange games and pretend to be a soldier or a queen. Despite this, Mitya lived well.
A year later, the master recalled that he had not completed the documents for the purchase of Myshkin and sent his manager to Count Gushchin. A soldier came from there to arrest the boy for arson. Realizing that the matter will not end with good, the boy ran away on a host team.
The problems of the story
After reviewing the summary of Alekseev’s History of the Serf Boy, it’s worth considering the problems of this work.
First of all, the author tried to show the inhumanity of serfdom and bestial treatment of peasants by their masters.
In addition, the story clearly shows the social difference between rich and poor landowners. The author tells how brutally ruined landowners recouped on their serfs. So Mavra Ermolaevna weekly slaughtered slaves, and the first owners of Mitya sold peasants without regret, not being afraid to separate their families.
No less vividly depicted is the brutality provoked by permissiveness. If the old lady punished the hero for his attempts to escape, then the failed owner of the boy planned to humiliate and insult him simply because Mitya had a medal for courage, but he didn’t.
Another episode illustrating the inhumanity of the gentlemen was the story of the lordly treatment of Fedor (“The story of a serf boy”: a summary of the second chapter).
In addition to all of the above, Sergey Alekseev in his book talks about the fact that talent and nobility do not depend on titles. The story draws a parallel between Suvorov and Mitya, whom St. Petersburg staff officers considered upstarts. Meanwhile, both of them are brave and noble people, despite their not entirely noble origin.
The story of Sergei Alekseev "The history of the serf boy" (a brief summary in the VI - IX paragraphs) is one of the pearls of Soviet and Russian literature. In it, the author was able to not only talk about the everyday life of serfs, but also make it so interesting that even modern students continue to read this book.